Some iPhone 5 users are complaining that a burst of purple is showing up in their photos -- and Apple seems to be acknowledging it 's just part of how the camera works .

Since Apple 's new smartphone was released just over a week ago , some of the millions of users have reported that , when a strong source of light is present in their photographs , the light takes on a purple hue .

The problem was first noted on the forums of online computer magazine Anandtech , where a thread discussing the issue had more than 180 comments Wednesday .

`` Yeah , I have a feeling this is going to be Antennagate all over again , '' one forum member wrote , referencing antenna problems with the iPhone 4 . `` I 've taken 20,000 + photos on my 4S , never ONCE had this problem . ''

That user then posted two photos that appear to show the flare .

An e-mail from Apple appears to confirm that the purple haze is n't all in users ' minds .

Tech blog Gizmodo quoted an e-mail from Apple support to a reader . He claims Apple support staff first said the discoloration should n't be happening but shifted after talking to Apple engineers .

`` Our engineering team just gave me this information and we recommend that you angle the camera away from the bright light source when taking pictures , '' read the e-mail , as reported by Gizmodo . `` The purple flare in the image provided is considered normal behavior for iPhone 5 's camera . ''

Apple did not respond to a message seeking comment for this story .

A comparison by Mashable , a CNN content partner , studied similar images taken with an iPhone 5 , an iPhone 4S and a Nikon D300 . Some of the 5 's images had a purple glow around light sources , while others did n't , Mashable reported . None of the images from the other two devices displayed the flares .

Some have speculated that the problem is caused by a sapphire cover that Apple added to the phone 's camera .

`` The new iSight camera in iPhone 5 features a sapphire crystal lens cover that is thinner and more durable than standard glass with the ability to provide crystal clear images , '' Apple wrote in promotional material for the phone .

The iPhone 5 has been Apple 's biggest launch to date , selling 2 million units in the first 24 hours and 5 million over its first weekend on the market .

But with its popularity have come a handful of persistent complaints , the purple glow being the most recent to gain traction .

Foremost have been problems with Apple 's new Maps feature , which for the first time replaced Google Maps as the default mapping software on Apple 's mobile operating system . The problems -- landmarks misplaced or misnamed , huge swaths of major cities missing -- prompted Apple CEO Tim Cook to offer a rare apology , promising that it will be fixed and going so far as to suggest other apps in the meantime .

Other iPhone 5 complaints have ranged from its aluminum casing scratching easily to light leaking from openings on the phone .

Death by theft , water and gravity : Smartphone horror stories

@highlight

iPhone 5 uses complain about purple flare on photos

@highlight

Report : Apple acknowledges problem , says it 's normal for the phone

@highlight

Users say purple flare appears from sources of light

@highlight

Apple did not respond to request for further comment